Policy & advocacy
Raising our voices, changing policy
From grassroots organizing to policy advocacy, we are building a safer future for autistic children, one step, one conversation, one life at a time.
We continue working alongside legislators and decision makers to make positive changes that will uplift and empower families.
Where it began
A petition for free swimming education
After the heartbreaking drowning of two autistic children, Mohammed and Waeys, the Maangaar Voices team launched a petition urging Minnesota to implement free swimming education for vulnerable autistic children. Research shows autistic children are 160 times more likely to die from drowning, yet preventative measures like swimming lessons and water safety education are rarely accessible or culturally inclusive.
Read the petition- 2,274signatures and supporters
- 20,607views
- 1,300shares
- 93dedicated promoters
What we asked for
- Free swimming classes for autistic children and adults
- Alerts for autistic children, similar to Amber Alerts
- Mandatory measures for landlords to protect vulnerable residents, and easy access to safety locks and home modifications
- An easier process, and shorter waitlists, for supports from DHS
- Swimming programs in EIDBI, early education and schools, so water safety can be part of a child’s IEP
- Greater acceptance of autism, because less stigma means lives saved
- Public education on what to do when you see a vulnerable autistic child, especially one who is nonverbal
What’s happened since
From petition to policy
What began as a petition has become a movement. Here is how we turned urgent advocacy into tangible progress.
- October 2024
A petition becomes a movement
We launched the petition after two autistic children drowned. Families, advocates and lawmakers met at the Minnesota Capitol, and our call for free swimming lessons reached WCCO, MPR and KARE 11.
See the coverage → - February 2025
Testifying at the Minnesota Senate
We testified to the Senate Human Services Committee to protect EIDBI services and culturally responsive providers, to restore out-of-home respite (SF 446), and to reconsider $1.2 billion in proposed cuts to disability services.
- March 2025
Legislation in the Minnesota House
We partnered with Representative Samakab Hussein on HF 1566, which would provide additional accommodations for children with autism in rental properties. Anisa Hagi-Mohamed and Abdikareem Hurreh testified. While it didn’t pass this session, it laid important groundwork.
Committee minutes → - April 2025
A Minneapolis resolution on drowning prevention
We co-developed Resolution 2025R-113 with Council Member Jamal Osman and the Mayor’s Office, acknowledging the need for culturally responsive water safety and drowning prevention for children with autism. The City Council adopted it on April 17, and the Mayor signed it on April 18. The Mayor’s Office publicly commemorated the resolution, honoring the lives lost and the families impacted.
Read the resolution file → - April 2025
Swim lessons covered by state programs
We endorsed SF 3040, which adds adaptive and one-on-one swimming lessons to Minnesota’s Family Support Grant, Consumer Support Grant and CFSS programs. Other organizations, like MAAN, have stepped up too, introducing legislation and hosting community education sessions.
Our letter of support → - Summer 2025
Private swim lessons for Muslim women
With FOSS Swim School in Burnsville, we opened private swim lessons so the caregivers who would have to respond in an emergency can learn to swim themselves.
Swim lessons → - Ongoing
Building statewide support
We met with Representative Kim Hicks of Olmsted County, who committed to helping bring these efforts statewide, county by county. We are also working with water safety advocate Miss Dayna on future trainings, workshops and legislative efforts, and we continue to support both grieving mothers, not just during the crisis but long after.
This year
Rapid response during Metro Surge
This year, Maangaar Voices helped hundreds of families during a really difficult time for our community, especially the disability community.
Food to the doorstep
For about three months straight, board member Samsam Mohamed, along with other board members and in collaboration with RISE, Amanah Rec and SOMFAM, delivered food to families’ doorsteps throughout the day and late into the night, sometimes until 2 or 3 a.m. Before any grant arrived, we paid for it mostly out of our own pockets and through crowdsourcing.
Rapid response funding
We then received one round of rapid response funding of $100,000 from the Immigrant Rapid Response Fund.
Focusing on core needs
Together we decided to each focus on a core area. RISE, Amanah Rec and Maangaar Voices focused on rent, utilities and other urgent costs, while SOMFAM set up a pantry shelf with essentials and hygiene products.
- 3 monthsof doorstep food deliveries, day and night
- $100,000from the Immigrant Rapid Response Fund
- $1,200 – $5,600rent help per family
- $200 – $2,050utility help per family
We worked alongside three organizations, each focusing on a core area:
What families were facing
Families reached out for help in Somali, English and Spanish.
- $925 – $2,800monthly rent for most families who applied
- $1,050 – $8,600rent owed when families applied
- $20 – $3,800utility balances owed
What families asked for
- Rent47%
- Rent and utilities32%
- Other help13%
- Utilities8%
How we used the funding
- Emergency rent and utilitiesRent and utility payments made directly to landlords and utility companies for families facing hardship.
- Staff working around the clockWe paid the staff who worked around the clock to reach families and respond to their needs.
- Operating costsSome of the funding covered the operating costs that kept our response running.
Data is drawn from surveys, intake forms, completed applications and disbursement reports, as of April 2026. Ranges and shares are rounded.
About the fund. The Immigrant Rapid Response Fund is a pooled philanthropic initiative managed by the Women’s Foundation of Minnesota in partnership with 33 philanthropic and community-rooted leaders. It was launched to support immigrant and refugee communities affected by increased federal immigration enforcement and ICE operations in Minnesota.Learn about the fund →
We hope to apply for more, as the need is great.
Children With Disabilities Particularly Vulnerable to Minneapolis ICE CrackdownRead how families were affected →On the record
Testimony at the Minnesota Legislature
- Letter of support for SF 3040Adaptive and one-on-one swimming lessons as a covered service for people at higher risk of drowning.Open the record →
- HF 1566: accommodations for children with autism in rental propertiesTestimony from Board Chair Anisa Hagi-Mohamed and board member Abdikareem Hurreh.Open the record →
- Written Testimony of Anisa Hagi-Mohamed, Board ChairUrging lawmakers to reconsider $1.2 billion in proposed cuts to disability services and restore waiver funding.Open the record →
- Testimony on SF 446: Expanding Out-of-Home Respite Care OptionsSupporting culturally relevant out-of-home respite for families facing caregiver burnout.Open the record →
- Advocating for Immigrant Families and Culturally Responsive EIDBI ServicesProtecting EIDBI services and the minority-owned providers immigrant families trust, with testimony from board member Samsam Mohamed.Open the record →
Advocacy in action
In the room where decisions are made
We bring families’ voices to lawmakers, city leaders and partners, so the people most affected help shape the solutions.
What we fight for
Our policy priorities
Water safety & drowning prevention
Free swim lessons, safety locks and home modifications, and alerts for autistic children who wander.
Culturally responsive services
Protecting EIDBI and the trusted providers immigrant families rely on.
Waivers, respite & family support
Shorter waitlists, simpler access to DHS supports, and respite that prevents caregiver burnout.
Acceptance & dignity
Less stigma means lives saved, starting with affirming language like Maangaar.
Stand with us
Thank you to the thousands who have signed, shared, and stood with us. Your voices are not only heard, they’re making impact.